What to do in Santorini

They say Santorini is an expensive place for a vacation. It is, indeed, especially if you go the tourist way or intend to spend there your honeymoon in a 5 star style. But there are some tricks and hacks how to make your magical trip a little more affordable even if you’re on a tight budget.

In this post we’ll look at five places to visit that are for free (or almost) and with a great guaranteed experience.

5 things to see in Santorini

Ancient Thera

This ancient city (or ruins of it) is located on Messavouno mountain and overlooks Kamari on one side and Perissa beach on the other. You can also see the airport from here and some smaller islets in the distance. But views are not the only incentive to go here. The city, of which ruins you can see there, was first inhabitated in 9th century BC. The site comprises among others the theatre, main square, sacred area. With an admission of 2 euros this is a place where to go for an hour or two of history.

Perissa Beach

Longer and smoother than Kamari, Perissa beach is probably one of the best beaches on the island. Don’t expect fine, white sand, but it’s still a nice place to chill out with a drink. Long promenade is nice at any time of the day and although the town is very tourist oriented it has plenty of parking space.

Akrotiri Lighthouse

Standing above the rocky edge of the southwestern part of Santorini, Akrotiri lighthouse is a great spot for sunset watching if you want to avoid crowds in Oia and Fira. It isn’t completely deserted during the evenings but it feels much more intimate than other popular spots.

Red Beach

Although this is not the kind of a beach where you would like to spend the afternoon (be it for numerous crowds or the threat of falling rocks), it’s a nice and free attraction to visit. The name of this beach comes from the colour of the sedimentary rocks – they are rich iron, hence the colour.

Oia

Yes, Oia is together with Fira the most crowded place in Santorini but you know what? It’s still an experience not to miss. The views are magical throughout the whole day (no need to wait for the sunset really), architecture is stunning and the whole setting just calls for a photo.

Have you been to any of these places? What did you like the most? Or do you have any other low budget tips that you can share below?

Great tips. I only saw Oia out of all these, and yes, it was busy. But the views were amazing to the caldera. Cheers!

Travel Hacks

Thanks! Oh yes, the views certainly pay off 🙂

Paraskumar

are there any dorms in which one can stay at a lower cost and secondly, how likely is it to find any job to do if i need to sustain for more days on the trip?

Travel Hacks

Hey Paraskumar, we stayed in a lovely b&b found through Airbnb but I would say that as it’s a massively tourist destination, there surely will be some hostels or at least low budget hotels. Our wasn’t horribly expensive too – it all depends on where are you willing to stay – places with caldera views generally cost a lot more. On the other hand, accommodation off the beaten path and outside the most touristy towns Oia and Fira can be very reasonably priced – which was fortunately our case too!

I didn’t look for any work during my stay so can’t help with that but the best would be ask directly people who work in hospitality there. Hope you’ll find a great place to stay and you’ll enjoy your trip!

Paraskumar

Thanks a lot Travel Hacks!

Gemma Seidita

Do you mind sharing the property you stayed at through airbnb?

Travel Hacks

Hi Gemma, of course! We stayed here, at EcoXenia https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/663372 and the place is really lovely. Just about 10-15 minutes by foot from Oia, with a beautiful large garden and sea views from a terrace (great for watching night sky on a hot night). Christtopher and his wife, who run the place, are super-accommodating and friendly folks with lots of tips for the whole island.
Btw, if this happens to be your first booking with Airbnb, with this link you’ll get $25 off 🙂 Hope this helps! https://www.airbnb.co.uk/c/skusalova?s=8